Homeowners Meeting Minutes
13th November 2007
In attendance:
Dean Webb – President
Peggy O’Leary – Treasurer
Neil Bradshaw – Member At Large
Han Hills – Secretary
Also in attendance were representatives of 14 Linden Ridge households.
As 50% of the homeowners were not in attendance a motion was made to temporarily suspend the 50% requirement rule and passed unanimously.
The meeting started at approximately 7:10PM
Treasurers Report
Peggy O’Leary handed out a report and checklist to all in attendance and took questions from the floor regarding aspects of the treasury activity over the past year.
The item “Advertising Costs” on the expenses list was identified as the costs relating to classified ads for such events as the bi-annual yard sales.
“Unpaid Dues” were identified as dues, which cannot be collected as they apply to homeowners who have sold and moved before current collection measures could be applied.
Peggy noted that a large majority of homeowners have now paid their dues to date and that the number outstanding is in single figures.
The current balance available to the association is around $9000, which will allow upcoming expenses to be paid, allow us to hold an annual block party this coming summer and provide a strong cushion against unexpected expenses going forward.
Checks numbers missing from the check register presented were identified as void checks.
It was pointed out that while we cannot give each homeowner a copy of every receipt held by the association these are available to be viewed by prior arrangement with the committee.
Our new Insurance Agent was identified as Nationwide. It was noted that Peggy has researched and consolidated the sub-division’s insurance costs and in the process has saved homeowners around $1000 a year.
Secretary’s Report
Han Hills handed out the minutes of the previous meeting and explained a little about the web site and newsletter.
A request was made that lengthy questions and enquiries to the board be put in writing. This request was made as previously some homeowners had been phoning the board at work for times of up to an hour. It was felt this was unacceptable during the working day.
The board strongly encourages all enquiries but feels that written questions (for lengthy enquiries especially) can be better addressed in writing than over the phone. E-mail is a perfectly acceptable platform for written communication and all board e-mail addresses are listed at www.lindenridge.org.
Han encouraged all homeowners and residents to submit any suggestions for the web site or newsletter to him at any time. These are always very welcome as we try to build the strongest feeling of local community.
Annual Elections
Elections were held for the following positions and the results were as follows (including proxy votes received prior to the meeting):
President – Dean Webb
Vice President – Jim Sieme
Treasurer – Peggy O’Leary
Secretary – Han Hills
At Large – Christy Foster
Special thanks are made to Neil Bradshaw who has stepped down as Member At Large after 6 years of service!
Architectural Committee
Volunteers for the architectural committee were asked for and Wyndi Hills, Eric Sadler and Karen Sadler volunteered to serve on this committee going forward into 2008.
Planning applications and reports of violations should still be forwarded to Dean Webb first in all cases for collation and presentation to that committee.
Welcome Committee
Jim Sieme gave a report and stated that this committee has met twice and produced a welcome package that will be passed to new residents as they arrive.
This committee has also identified 6 homes for sale in the subdivision and the Treasurer agreed to ensure that these homeowners are fully paid up on their dues before they leave the sub-division.
Dues For 2008
The dues process for 2008 will be as follows:
The new amount payable for 2008 has already been decided at $120. As the $20 increase came late in 2007 anyone paying the extra $20 in that year will have this applied to their payment in 2008, placing all homeowners on a level playing field.
Statements and Invoices will be sent out on March 1st by mail to each household stating the amount currently owing on that property.
The 2008 dues are payable on 1st April and each household has 60 days to make this payment to the Association. Outstanding dues from past years should also be paid as soon as possible.
Dues for 2008 will be considered overdue after June 1st and the annual overdue penalty will be applied at this point.
Third Party Management
Much discussion took place about the merits of employing a third party company to administer certain aspects of the association (such as dues collection and by-law enforcement).
A vote was taken and those attending unanimously voted to collect further information on costs over the next six months as we see how the new board and architectural committee fair in enforcing standards and how the association fairs during the next dues collection process.
The Entrance Sign Area
We are still trying to find a solution that represents best value to the community.
We are currently awaiting a quote for repair from the original sign makers, which would effectively place the existing sign sides (very popular in the sub-division) on a new weatherproof central structure. Done correctly such a repair could secure the sign for the next decade at the very least and would certainly be cheaper than a full replacement.
Dates For the Coming Year
Provisionally dates for 2008 have been suggested as follows:
February 19th – Full Meeting
June 14th – Sub-division Block Party and Meeting on the Common Area (21st if wet)
August 26th – Full Meeting
November 11th – Full Annual General Meeting and Elections
Those present voted to re-instate the 50% rule and the meeting was adjourned at around 9PM.
Homeowners Meeting Minutes
26th June 2007
Present for the board:
Tom Perry (President and Chair)
Peggy O’Leary (Treasurer)
Han Hills (Secretary)
Neal Bradshaw (Member At Large)
Dean Webb (Vice President)
Total Number of Homeowner Voters Present: 7 (One vote per household)
- As 50% of homeowners were not represented a motion was made to suspend the rules of quorum and this was carried unanimously.
- The Treasurer gave her report stating that the association had a balance of approximately $9447 at the present time with another $1700 in checks ready to be paid in!
This represents a huge improvement on homeowners paying outstanding dues to date.
We now have sufficient funds to make progress on the new sign and pay state mandated costs such as our annual insurance premium.
The Secretary gave a report detailing the minutes of the last Homeowners meeting and also the recent board meeting that included the following points:
Investigations by Tom Perry have shown that our Retention Pond is still in fact licensed to the developer. It was agreed that the board would initiate contact with the appropriate governmental bodies to see exactly what was required to bring the pond up to the state required specification and attempt to force the developer to undertake these works.
Road Adoption
A petition has been created to request the state to adopt the roads in our sub-division. These roads are currently privately owned by the sub-division and therefore at this time we remain responsible for maintenance and repair.
The petition was circulated to the small number of homeowners present at the meeting and, over the next few weeks, will be circulated door to door until we have a complete complement of signatures to properly submit.
Block Party
Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds at that time, our Annual Block Party, scheduled for June 9th, had to be cancelled. It was with great regret that the committee felt forced to take this action as the party always attracts a very high turnout and provides a terrific afternoon of fun for adults and children alike, as well as a much needed chance for a large number of residents to collect and exchange news about the area.
Should we find ourselves able to reschedule the party for later in the summer we will inform all households as early as possible.
Tom Perry
It is with deep regret that our current president, Tom Perry of Talamore Ct, has decided to step down with effect from 30th June 2007.
Tom has been president of the Homeowners’ Association since the very beginning and has worked tirelessly over that time to help make our development the desirable location it is today.
Members of the current board would like to offer their deepest and most sincere thanks to Tom for all he has achieved and helped others achieve over the years. Heading the HOA certainly isn’t often the easiest or most appreciated of tasks!
Tom leaves us to go traveling around the US with his wife and we wish them a safe and adventurous journey. He will still be a resident of Linden Ridge though, and we are sure will still be a strong voice in our community.
Our current Vice-president Dean Webb will become acting president until the elections at our AGM in November.
Open Discussion
Throughout the meeting there was much lively debate on various issues concerning the sub-division and the HOA, many points being raised by Steve Nun of Linden Ridge Road.
The following is a list of conclusions from this debate:
- It was agreed that the treasurer will prepare an annual statement of income and expenditure for the HOA to be circulated to all homeowners. Such a statement will be prepared just prior to and presented at the AGM.
- Clarification is required on the speed limits throughout the sub-division and the legality of posting speed signs at key points on the major roads and junctions. This will be investigated further by the committee and our findings will be presented at the AGM in November.
- The replacement sign should be costed fully and every attempt should be made to make this as economical to the sub-division as possible. If a new wooden sign is erected, some extra form of weather protection, such as copper fixture on the top should be added to ensure that the new sign lasts well into the next two decades a the minimum.
- Where homeowners questioned the validity of the decisions made regarding financial outlay by the HOA they were reminded that all decisions were made in full accordance with the existing legal by-laws of the subdivision and that where required all decisions were formally voted on by the committee and attending homeowners at meetings and duly recorded in the records of such.
- At the discretion of the board and in full accordance with the by-laws of the sub-division the annual dues payable by each homeowner was raised to $120 with effect at the next payment period. Homeowners were reminded that the HOA has worked hard to keep the rate fixed over the past eight years but that increasing costs and reduced funds made this increase necessary at this time. This is not a punitive measure against non-payers but rather reflects the ongoing needs of the community.
- Those who remain with significant outstanding dues owed to the HOA, of $200 or above, by the time of the AGM leave themselves liable to having liens placed on their property for the recovery of the debt, with an added cost, payable by the homeowner of $150 for the legal costs of imposing this lien.
- The committee intends to contact all estate lawyers and realtor in the local area during July to make them fully aware of the existence of the HOA and obligations placed upon all residents moving into the sub-division.
- A request was made for any available volunteers to help with the upkeep and maintenance of the communal landscape areas. Any interest parties are asked to contact Acting president Dean Webb on 910 796 0867 or e-mail president@lindenridge.org.
- There have been several complaints regarding the late evening noise from the house adjacent to the communal area. Residents are reminded that state and county laws provide enforceable guidelines on nuisance noise and complaints should be directed to the sheriff’s office, by whom action will be taken. Persistent offenders could face fines in this regard.
We were reminded that the AGM, including annual HOA elections will take place on Tuesday November 13th at 7PM. All homeowners are strongly encouraged to attend.
By unanimous vote the rules were re-instated and the meeting was adjurned.
Minutes prepared by the secretary, and presented by the Linden Ridge Homeowners Association.
NEWS - MAY AND JUNE 2007
BLOCK PARTY CANCELLED!
It is with sadness that the committee has voted to cancel this year’s community block party. The cause is a simple one, lack of funds. On top of issues such as the repair of the entrance sign, upkeep of the retention pond and the payment of mandated insurance on the community there are still a large number of homes in our community that have not paid their Homeowner’s Association Dues, often for several years.
The committee has strived to keep the dues low for our community though outgoings continue to rise, and state mandated costs continue to place a heavy burden on funds. Unfortunately those who are willing to pay are now beginning to pay the price for the reluctance of others and the committee has had to emergency vote that the dues for 2007-2008 be increased to $120 per household, effective immediately.
Notices are being sent out with this newsletter update and those that still refuse to pay will be served with liens on their property in due course.
If you have outstanding dues please help your community by paying these as soon as you can! The Homeowners Association was created by State Law and so households have a legal responsibility to pay.
Paying your dues is very easy!
Simply make your checks payable to “Linden Ridge HOA” and send or deliver to our Treasurer, Peggy O’Leary at 4521
Alder Ridge Road, 28412.
If you have a question about the dues owed by your household please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail our treasurer, Peggy treasurer@lindenridge.org. Every penny of the money you pay goes to maintaining our community to the standards you expect and the state requires. The committee themselves receive absolutely no compensation for their work on your behalf.
Not paying your state mandated dues not only hurts your community but can hurt your pocket as well! Dues in arrears are assessed an 18% interest charge per year and if we are forced to place a lien on overdue properties that can cost them from $150 additionally in legal fees.
Why not have more of a say in your community? The Homeowners Association now plans to meet on Tuesday June 26th at 7PM at the Amerihost on Carolina Beach Road off Monkey Junction. Every member makes a difference. We hope to see you there!
RETENTION POND
The community retention pond is now ours to maintain and the Homeowners Association committee has been working to get the best value quote for the job. Currently it seems it may cost as much as $2000 to bring the pond up to code and another $150 per month to clean, remove debris and add chemicals to the pond. Though the committee plans to research this further to see all savings that can be made but we do know this:
Maintaining the pond is State Mandated and if inspected and found below code the state can impose a fine across our community as a penalty. The good news is that, if judged below standard, we will be given a period of time to remedy the pond before a fine is imposed.
ALLIGATOR UPDATE
Members of the committee have had an ongoing dialogue with a representative of the Nature Reserve and he has assured us that, at it’s current size, the Alligator resident in the retention pond is no threat at all to the people or pets in Linden Ridge. He informed us that it is not their policy to remove such a small animal but if in future he were to grow substantially bigger (roughly double the size at present) they will then be happy to take action. It is, however, important that residents and visitors in Linden Ridge do not feed the Alligator. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this.
HOA MEETING JUNE 26TH
As we are no longer able to hold the annual summer block party we are holding a standard Homeowners Association meeting on Tuesday June 26th at the Amerihost, Carolina Beach Road at 7PM. Residents are strongly encouraged to attend if available and have a say in the running, management and upkeep of your community. We look forward to seeing you there!
Homeowners Meeting Minutes
13th March 2007
7PM AT THE AMERIHOST, CAROLINA BEACH ROAD, WILMINGTON
Present for the board:
Tom Perry (President and Chair)
Peggy O’Leary (Treasurer)
Han Hills (Secretary)
Neal Bradshaw (Member At Large)
Apologies from:
Dean Webb (Vice President)
Total Number of Homeowner Voters Present: 13
(One vote per household)
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As 50% of homeowners were not represented a motion was made to suspend the rules of quorum and this was carried unanimously.
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The Treasurer gave her report stating that the association had a balance of approximately $1600 at the present time.
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The Secretary gave a report detailing the minutes of the last Homeowners meeting and also the recent board meeting that included the following points:
The Treasurer has produced statements for each household in the association showing how much is owed outstanding. Four of the committee members will very shortly convene and arrange to deliver these by hand to each household.
At the same time we will also be able to confirm the current homeowners’ details.
The retention pond and associated responsibilities have now been completely signed over to the Association. It was agreed that the President would obtain quotations from several professionals to fulfill our maintenance obligations.
It was agreed that the current landscaper continues to perform well and at a good price.
The entrance sign is in a terrible state of repair and may need to be fully replaced. It was agreed that the cost of repair or replacement would be investigated and presented to the homeowners along with proposed solutions at a future meeting.
The President reported that he had investigated the outstanding monies due from the developer, as requested at the previous full meeting, and discovered that, as the developer had disbanded the corporation in 2002, these would be almost impossible to recover.
At the same meeting the President had also discovered that, for persistent non-payers of dues (amounting to $200 or more) we can very easily and quickly place a lien on their property at a cost to the household of $150. This lien would have to be redeemed before the property could be sold.
It was also noted by the Treasurer that dues remaining unpaid after one year must be assessed 18% interest for each year these remain outstanding.
4. It was again mentioned that several homeowners need access to a full copy of the Covenants and that the remaining portions need to be made available online.
It was suggested that these also be passed to Estate Agents handling future purchases to ensure they are received immediately and in full by new residents.
5. It was proposed by Jim Sieme that a “Welcoming Committee” be established to greet new residents and answer any questions about the community they may have.
It is within the remit of the President’s office to appoint such positions as needed and, after volunteering, the President appointed Jim Sieme, Jim Sistrunk and Christie Rhodes to this new committee.
- It was noted by the President that we need to make sure that all homeowners understand that Homeowners’ dues are mandated by the state, including items such as the maintenance of the retention pond.
- It was agreed that the entrance sign is in drastic need of attention and that the President would investigate and obtain quotes on this as mentioned earlier. It was also noted that there is damage to the entrance sprinkler system and that an investigation of repair costs for this also would be included in the President’s enquiries. It was mentioned that there was a possibility that a special assessment may be needed, spread across all households, to cover the special one-off cost of the sign.
8. It was suggested that, in future fiscal years a slightly different procedure be undertaken with regards to dues:
The board meets between February 1 st and March 1 st to confirm the dues remain the same or increase. Though it should be noted that the board can action an increase of 20% per annum without needing a vote by homeowners, the dues have remained at $100 per year for every year since the association’s inception.
The homeowners then each receive a statement between March 1 st and March 31 st by hand or mail informing them of annual dues and any outstanding for their household.
Each household would then have until the following April 1 st to pay dues before incurring the annual outstanding dues penalty of 18% per year overdue.
- Dates for the following year’s events were confirmed:
Garage / Yard Sale will be held Saturday April 21st 8AM to Midday.
Block Party and Next Meeting will be on Saturday June 9th starting at 5PM with a short meeting around 6PM.
Annual Elections and Main Meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th November at 7PM.
A motion to reinstate rules was unanimously carried.
